DO YOU HAVE A BOOK QUESTION?

[manor_house_books]

Hi all, pippy_oak here, posting under my brand new user name. Hopefully, Richard will pin this thread, as it seems a nice tidy place to pose specific questions about a book (Is it a 1st edition, what's it worth, where to find it etc. etc.) Don't just come here with a question. If you think you have the answer, then let's hear it.

Or we could just mooch around and learn a few things.

Cheers

Paul

[black-country-books]

or even interest value.

[manor_house_books]

Does a Chemistry book have Compound Interest Value?:-)

[ok-mrs-bee]

Not if it's an Elementary book. 😐

[sigmapsidelta]

It's periodically elemental.

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.
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[patgal4]

Hello Manor_House -some advice would be much appreciated.
Picked up a copy of P G Wodehouse, Pearls, Girls and Monty Bodkin, ex library, usual library stamps but strangely they have left the fep in place. D/J by Osbert Lancaster and here the plot thickens. ISBN on d/j 0214668150 but on catalogue page ISBN 0214668142. It does state first published 1972 Barrie & Jenkins. The river has this as a first edition but is it? with conflicting ISBNs.
More difficult this time - how does one clean cloth boards.Picked up a lovely 1961 Tales from Japan, retold by shirley Goulden, Illus. Benvenuti and internally clean, tight and sound. However no d/j and the boards are faded in part, some pencil lines or old biro (very pale) and two of the corners, not bumped, have lost a tiny piece of cloth. Do I leave well alone and try and sell it, warts and all. I could eat the illustrations!

[manor_house_books]

Confusion reigns!

As far as I can tell, 0214668142 refers to First Blood by David Morrell. 0214668150 is the correct Wodehouse title published by Barrie & Jenkins 1972. I would say, yes, you have the First edition.Wodehouse always sells well. The price will be restricted by the library markings.

I'm not familiar with Tales from Japan, but a quick reccy tells me that it's worth £15-£65 depending on condition. From the faults as you describe them, you're probably not going to improve matters much. When you sell it, list the faults in full, and accentuate the positive.

[sigmapsidelta]

I'm pretty sure there was a whole series of those 'Tales from...' books by various authors and illustrators.

I think I have 'Tales from India' somewhere. It has its wrapper and is not ex-lib. This may be a downer, but I could never get as much as a fiver for it - not through lack of trying either.

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.
Σ Ψ Δ
σ ψ δ

[patgal4]

Thanks again.
How do you describe the following - I've never had or seen it before. On close inspection of the Japanese book I found that when I open it out fully I can see a fine line of canvas backing or whatever at the seam. Is this what you call lifting? The other pages are tight and this flaw appears in two places.

[manor_house_books]

Errrrrr......dunno.

What you see is the gutter, so I would describe the condition as a partially open gutter. Maybe an expert can help us.

[fionasmate]

I am thinking of listing this biography ;
E.D.MOREL -The Man and His Work by F.Seymour Cocks (really!!!)published 1920 by George Allen & Unwin 1st edition Good to Very Good. Morel was a famous (infamous )socialist ,political pacifist figure at the turn of the 20th century ,an influential figure in the Congo and a founder of the Union of Democratic Control ; during WW1 when he spent 6 months in prison for his outspoken views ;he subsequently defeated Winston Churchill in the 1920 Election as MP for Dundee.
I can find no reference to similar copies .This book has pasted in on endpapers a copy of the funeral service at St.Martin's in the Field and numerous press obituaries and also a letter signed by him to a previous owner in which he presents this copy of his biography dated February 1924 -he died in November 1924 aged 51 .

I'm trying to get some idea of potential value and the best listing format.Are there any specialist dealers in political biographies.Any views will be much appreciated .

fred

[manor_house_books]

Quite scarce. The British Library has 1 copy.

This may not necessarily enhance its value.

As there are no other copies for sale, it is difficult to establish a value. I would list high and see how many hits and watchers you get.

[sigmapsidelta]

The author's other titles aren't particularly sought-after.

The various other bits of documentation definitely make your copy more interesting than the average.

With one in the Brit. Lib. and your copy I'd imagine that makes three known copies - a publisher like Allen Unwin will have at least one file copy.

I have a few titles that, as far as I can find out, are either unique or one of only a pair known. That doesn't mean they have any great value, though.

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.
Σ Ψ Δ
σ ψ δ

[fionasmate]

It's a fascinating tangible piece of history which I'll have to read soon ,then decide .Thanks for your advice as always .

Fred

[patgal4]

What is so special about a book on Bridge? The Second Bols Book of Bridge Tips by Andre Boekhorst, first British publication. I have a copy in near perfect condition and I see that there are 3 on Addall ranging from $50 - $90 dollars. Your comments would be appreciated.

[kimmus00]

Hi i have two story books The favourite wonder book and The big christmas wonder book. The date should be between 1926-1936 both ex cond any idea on price.

Also i have a book called V.R.I her life and empire quite tatty but all there the chap who left it to me said that something was printed in the book wrong and only a few slipped through this bieng one of them any ideas
Cheers Kim

[sigmapsidelta]

Sorry, Kim, but your 'tatty' victorian item, due to the fact that it contains errors, would be of little interest to a collector. Book collectors want the most perfect example possible, so any error would be seen as an imperfection and the copy dismissed as a collectable. Also the condition 'tatty', though not a recognised bookdealing term, would seem to indicate an excess of wear or damage. To a collector what you have may be termed a 'reading copy', but it is unlikely to be something he'd want to shelve alongside his collection.

The other two items may require a bit more information. A publisher would help. Names of any illustrators or other contributors?

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.
Σ Ψ Δ
σ ψ δ

[kimmus00]

Thanks for that, the christmas book was edited by John R Crossland and J M Parish. Contributions by John Drinkwater,steven southwold,rudyard kipling,sir henry newbolt to name a few was printed odhams press ln london.

wonder book contributions fron p g wodehouse,a p herbert,a a milne,e nesbit, elenor farjeon, geoffrey dearmer and more if needed

cheers

[sigmapsidelta]

Wonder Book - do any of theseound like it?

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?bx=off&sts=t&ds=50&bi=0&y=15&kn=wodehouse&tn=wonder+book&x=100&sortby=1

Xristmas version....

http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?bx=off&sts=t&ds=50&bi=0&an=crossland&y=9&tn=christmas+book&x=99&sortby=1

. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Whomever you may murder, there's no police like Holmes.
Σ Ψ Δ
σ ψ δ

[kimmus00]

Yes thats them thanks very much

Kim

[kirsten7702]

Hi there, wondering if anyone can help me, it would be much appreciated! I am trying to find out the value of a book I have, and keep finding conflicting info on different websites which is making it difficult. I have a first edition, first print of Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone in paperback - it has all the usually irregularities (younger Dumbledore on the back, Joanne Rowling, number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, etc!) I got this book as a Christmas present when in 1997, so it has been read a few times but is in relatively good condition. Can anyone give me any clue as to how much it's worth? I have tried the websites mentioned in this board for valuing books, but can't find any that exactly match this book. Again, any help would be great! x